The hidden hand

The Arctic zinc mine powering global broadband

Teck Resources' Alaskan mining operation produces a critical fiber-optic chemical that almost no one knows exists.

The number

Red Dogworld's largest zinc mine

Producer

Producer · Teck Resources

Teck Resources Limited (Vancouver; NYSE: TECK; ~$9B revenue) is one of the world's largest integrated zinc producers and a major Western indium producer. Indium is recovered as a byproduct at Teck's Trail Operations in Trail, British Columbia — one of the largest integrated zinc and lead smelting complexes in the world. Teck produces 99.995%-minimum-purity indium at Trail with an annual capacity of approximately 75 tonnes, representing ~22% of US import supply. Teck has expanded its indium processing capability to meet ITO manufacturer demand. Trail Operations processes zinc concentrates from Teck's Red Dog mine (Alaska) and third-party sources. Teck sold its steelmaking coal business to Glencore in 2024, sharpening its focus on copper and zinc — both critical mineral supply chains.

Surprise score

93 / 100

Germanium dopant—the specialty chemical that enables fiber-optic cables spanning continents—is a waste-stream byproduct from zinc smelting at Teck's Trail, British Columbia facility, fed by ore from the Red Dog Mine above the Arctic Circle. The supply chain runs from Alaska's permafrost to Canada to fiber manufacturers worldwide, invisible to the telecom industry it powers.

Source: Germanium — Teck Resources Product Page · Teck Resources · Jan 1, 2024

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The Arctic zinc mine powering global broadband

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